Swiftwing Tribe

The Swiftwings date their history back over 500 years. At that time, a small group of rebels broke off from their main tribe, the Red Sand elves, after a disagreement with the tribe's leaders. The tiny band seemed doomed, but their stubborn sense of honor drove them on, away from the Red Sand tribe. After seemingly endless weeks wandering through the Aluvial Sand Wastes, the rebels were guided to the Dragon's Bowl by a flock of birds. There they made friends with the druid who protected the lake. They took the name Swiftwing in honor of the birds that had guided them.

The new tribe struck out into the Tablelands. They were soon raiding caravans along the Silver SpringAltaruk-Gulg route. The name Swiftwing began to be spoken with concern, disdain, and fear. Templars began to accompany caravans (a move almost unheard of in other cities) and all guards were doubled. It was all to no avail; the attacks continued, and revenue from the vital trade route declined still further. The nobles and merchants of Gulg grew determined that something had to be done about the Swiftwings.

A notorious mercenary band known as the Brotherhood of the Black Stone was hired and told to eradicate the Swiftwings. Posing as a poorly armed caravan, the Brotherhood awaited the elves' attack. It never came. Someone had tipped the Swiftwings off, and the Brotherhood spent weeks traipsing across the desert, growing weary and tired. Finally, as the Brotherhood was about to give up, the Swiftwings attacked. The battle was fierce, but the Brotherhood was scattered in the end. Next, the nobles engaged the services of two rival elven tribes, including the Swiftwing's nemesis, the Red Sands tribe. The combined pressure from these two tribes proved enough to convince the Swiftwings that the region was getting too hazardous. Unfortunately for the merchants of Gulg, the Red Sands elves remained in the area for some time, continuing to raid caravans.

The Swiftwings wandered for a time, raiding and fighting. At last, weighted down with booty, they arrived in Balic, where they set up an elven market outside the city walls. Like most elven markets, the Swiftwings' operation drew unwanted attention from Balic's templars. As in most elven markets, however, the templars were unable to find any evidence of wrongdoing. When the templars were away, the market offered a wealth of contraband, all guaranteed to enrage the authorities. Members of the Veiled Alliance discovered the market, and huge profits were reaped from illegal spell components and rare magical documents. As they left Balic, the Swiftwings realized that there was more to life than raiding.

Raiding and fighting continued to be a large part of the tribe's existence, but the newly discovered world of trade became more and more important as time passed. The Swiftwings treated trade with the same chaotic glee that they normally reserved for raids on caravans. Contraband, stolen items, and goods both legal and illegal were freely sold and eagerly bought by customers throughout the region.

The Swiftwings' dealings in illegal items attracted the attention of a powerful defiler named Shardas, who purchased large quantities of spell components and magical items from them. The Swiftwings agreed, after glimpsing the defiler's gold, to sell to him on credit. After a particularly large shipment, the Swiftwings waited months for Shardas to pay them. Emissaries sent to the defiler's tower in the Ringing Mountains never returned. The tribe, its honor slighted and its bloodlust enraged, entered the mountains in search of vengeance. Unfortunately, the defiler struck first. In the dark of night, Shardas's shadowy minions stole into the tent of Chief Anor and made off with his twin daughters. A simple message left on one of the young elves' pillows stated the defiler's position clearly – desist and leave the mountains, or the chief's daughters die. To all appearances, the threat worked. The Swiftwings immediately struck camp, turned around, and headed back toward the Tyr region. But, as the Brotherhood of the Black Stone had learned, little of what the Swiftwings did was as it appeared. As the bulk of the tribe crossed the mountains, a small group of elite warriors made its way deeper into the mountains, where Shardas's fortress crouched like an evil beast. Scaling the walls, they entered the fortress, avoiding Shardas's guards and confronting the defiler himself. Shardas was gravely wounded but escaped with his life, while the Swiftwings rescued his prisoners and reduced his fortress to rubble. To this day, the Swiftwings frighten their young ones by saying that Shardas still lurks in the shadows, eager to take vengeance for his humiliation. 

The tribe returned to the Tyr region loaded down with booty from Shardas's fortress. This loot was quickly converted into gold. The elves returned to their old ways - traveling, fighting, and trading when the mood struck them.

The Swiftwing tribe is led by a chief and council of advisors known as the “Learned Ones.” The Learned Ones are neither elected nor appointed. Rather, in true elven fashion, members of this council are chosen by consensus. Those who participate in the council claim that they simply know intuitively when the time is right for them to take their place with the other Learned Ones. These individuals are all elves of great skill and accomplishment – warriors, magicians, craftsmen, hunters, clerics, and so on. When the attitude of those around them meshes with their own sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, they join the council. Those who are clearly unqualified would never be taken seriously by other Learned Ones; these elves never attempt to join the council.

Decisions by the council are made by consensus as well. Not every Learned One is present for every decision – only those who feel they are needed or who take a personal interest in the issue at hand.

The chief is chosen in this fashion from among the Learned Ones. Once chosen, a chief rules by decree, although Learned Ones who disagree with his decisions may dispute them and attempt to change the chief's mind. Should either party seem adamant in his or her opinion, the other will often relent or compromise. Only in the rare instances where both parties are equally determined are the Learned Ones convened to decide the issue. Should the chief disagree with the consensus of the Learned Ones in such a situation, he or she is removed and a new chief chosen. As may be inferred from the above information, there is complete sexual equality in the Swiftwing tribe. The rugged nomadic lifestyle has bred females capable of working, traveling, and even fighting while with child, up until only a few days before birth. Consequently, there are no restrictions as to what position either males or females may hold.

After all is said and done, the Swiftwings are at heart a tribe of nomadic warriors. All actions of the tribe revolve around travel from place to place, and the eventual necessity of battle. Trade is a comparatively recent innovation. Even though trade has taken on considerable importance, it is subject to the demands of the Swiftwings' nomadic lifestyle. Shelters for the tribe are light and easily transportable. Most Swiftwings live in tents that vary from tiny one-man lean-tos to large, multi-roomed structures inhabited by the chief and other prominent members of the tribe. Tents are made of brightly colored cloth, often decorated with pennons, captured banners, trophies, and the skulls of enemies or monsters. Even the largest of these tents can be disassembled and packed up in a matter of hours; smaller ones may be taken down in just a few minutes. Many of these tents are so small and light that they can be converted into backpacks and used to carry personal gear. Larger tents are loaded onto kanks or crodlu for travel.

All Swiftwings travel on foot, as their lean, fast moving bodies are ideally suited to the rugged environment of the desert. Mekillot- or inix-drawn wagons may sometimes be utilized, especially when large amounts of booty or trade goods are being transported. The Swiftwings' economy is driven by several factors. Although tribe members are loathe to admit it, raiding is not the tribe's main source of sustenance. Hunting, gathering, and herding erdlu, crodlu, and kank provide most of the tribe's food, while trading in stolen goods brings in most of its income. Participating in raids and battles with tribal enemies is the surest way for a tribe member to gain status. Many different acts of bravery (or foolishness, according to outsiders) can provide status to a Swiftwing tribesman. Each act is recognized by fellow warriors by a different badge, symbol, or decoration. Killing an enemy warrior, for example, is rewarded with a black or gray bead that is worn around the neck or braided into the warrior's hair. Swiftwing warriors with numerous beads should be treated with the utmost respect. Some warriors enter battle unarmed and unarmored, relying on their agility and martial arts abilities to overcome their enemies. A warrior who slays an enemy in this fashion earns the right to wear a red bead, either on a necklace or in his or her braids. The tribe treats these warriors – known as “avengers” – with near-religious awe. The tribe's highest status is reserved for those individuals who have slain a defiler who is a proven enemy of the tribe. Defilers are particularly hated by the Swiftwings. The few warriors who can claim to have slain a defiler may tattoo themselves with the image of a nine-pointed star. This tattoo may appear anywhere, but is most common on shoulders and foreheads. Although the tribe's attitude is that the only good defiler is a dead defiler, the star is awarded only if the slain defiler is a known and active enemy of the Swiftwings. Slaying an ordinary wizard, cleric, or psionicist is rewarded with a green bead or bracelet. Other, lesser honors also exist. Scouts who slay an enemy receive a blue bead or bracelet; they receive a white bead or stone if they find a particularly rich caravan for the tribe to raid, and so on. 

Actual trade for profit, with the Swiftwings buying goods in one city and transporting them to another, is a new concept to most tribe members. They have still not gotten the hang of it. Recently, for example, the tribe suffered acute embarrassment when it arrived in Gulg with a load of exotic feathers, items that Gulg already possessed in abundance. The Swiftwings are improving, however, as they learn from the practices of other elven traders, such as the Clearwater tribe, and from the dynastic merchant houses of the city-states. Only recently have genuine traders emerged among the Swiftwings. Most of these are still of low level, although they are gaining experience and skills rapidly. Potential customers can expect the Swiftwings to be hard bargainers despite their lack of expertise, especially when it comes to spell components and magical items. These objects are hard won and highly sought after, and the elves are unlikely to let them go without substantial cash incentives.